Patterns in parabolic problems with nonlinear boundary conditions (Q853997)

This paper provides criteria for the existence of asymptotically stable nonconstant equilibrium solutions (patterns) for semilinear parabolic equations of the form \[ u_t=\delta\varepsilon^{1-N}\Delta u+f(u)\quad\text{in }\Omega_\varepsilon \] under nonlinear boundary conditions \[ \delta\varepsilon^{1-N}\frac{\partial u}{\partial n}=g(u)\quad\text{in }\partial\Omega_\varepsilon \] on dumbbell type domains \(\Omega_\varepsilon\subseteq{\mathbb R}^N\), i.e., bounded smooth domains consisting of two fixed disconnected parts and a small channel (depending on \(\epsilon>0\)) connecting them. As usual, \(\frac{\partial}{\partial n}\) is the outer normal derivative on the boundary \(\partial\Omega_\epsilon\), \(\delta>0\) a fixed parameter and \(f,g\) nonlinear functions satisfying appropriate growth and dissipativity conditions. After proving convergence of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator on such domains, the authors show that the behavior of the above nonlinear heat equation is asymptotically equivalent to a system of two diffusively (weakly) coupled ordinary differential equations. The analysis is based on invariant manifold theory and a uniform trace theorem.